Pope birthplace opening to public

The Pope's house has been a pilgrimage site since 2005

The house where Pope Benedict XVI was born in southern Germany will open its doors to the public on Sunday, on the eve of his 80th birthday.

The small Bavarian town of Marktl am Inn is honouring Joseph Ratzinger, who was born there on 16 April 1927.

The 262-year-old building was bought one year ago from the previous owner, who could no longer cope with the pilgrims who wanted to visit the place.

An exhibition on the Pope's life and works will be opened there on Sunday.

An estimated 250,000 people have visited the village since 2005.

"An exhibition will be presented with one part on the ground floor covering the pope's biography and another upstairs devoted to theology," Mayor Hubert Gschwendtner told the AFP news agency.

The exhibition will include Joseph Ratzinger's birth certificate and baptism announcement.

Birthday events

The previous owner, Claudia Dandl, became fed up two years ago when huge numbers of pilgrims began flocking to Marktl am Inn - population 2,700 - to visit the house, following the election of Benedict XVI as Pope.

The Pope's birthday has spawned an explosion of merchandise

The house, sold for a reported 3.5m euros (£2.4m; $4.7m), was extensively renovated. Some visitors snatched pieces of facade chipped off by builders.

On Sunday, a mass will be conducted in the Pope's honour by the Bishop of Passau and on Monday a candlelight procession will start at 0415 (0215 GMT) - the precise time of his birth.

The Pope is expected to receive numerous birthday presents, including 80 bottles of locally brewed beer, to be brought to him by Cardinal Friedrich Wetter of the dioceses of Munich and Passau, the Associated Press reports.

Birthday events will not be confined to Marktl am Inn, but will take place all over Bavaria, including in Regensburg, where he taught at the university.

It is an opportunity to boost tourism in the region, with Pope-related merchandise on sale for the event, such as Benedict teddy bears.

The Pope himself is not expected to attend the ceremonies in his honour.